War is always a scandal, Pope tells congregation

War should always scandalize the faithful, Pope Francis said in his homily at a Mass on February 25.

The Pope remarked that as Europe recalls World War I, we are appalled by the number of casualties. But the killing continues, he said—in many small wars rather than one “Great War.” Every day the newspapers provide new reports of killing.

Pope Francis contrasted the misery of children living in the squalor of refugee camps with the luxuries enjoyed by arms merchants. But he cautioned against the mistaken belief that the hatred that leads to war is manufactured by some elite. That hatred, he said, can be found in the human heart; “the spirit of war comes from our own hearts.”

Christians should recognize the frailty of our lives and the danger of our own sinfulness, the Pope said. Moreover, he said, in the face of news about warfare, “we should weep; we should mourn.”

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